pucker

American  

[puhk-er] / ˈpʌk ər /

verb (used with or without object)

1. to draw or gather into wrinkles or irregular folds, as material or a part of the face; constrict.

   Worry puckered his brow.

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noun

1. a wrinkle; an irregular fold.

2. a puckered part, as of cloth tightly or crookedly sewn.

3. Archaic. a state of agitation or perturbation.

pucker British  

/ ˈpʌkə /

verb

1. to gather or contract (a soft surface such as the skin of the face) into wrinkles or folds, or (of such a surface) to be so gathered or contracted

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noun

1. a wrinkle, crease, or irregular fold

Other Word Forms

• puckerer noun
• unpuckered adjective

Etymology

Origin of pucker

1590–1600; apparently a frequentative form connected with poke ²; -er ⁶ and for the meaning purse

Example Sentences

Astringency is the dry, puckering, rough, or sandpapery feeling people notice when eating foods rich in certain plant compounds called polyphenols.

From Science Daily

She shifted her attention to my hands, where I was yanking the thread with such tension that the fabric was puckering.

From Literature

His lips would twitch and pucker for a second before they stretched into a curve, like someone who had just done something naughty and wasn’t going to tell you what it was.

From Literature

We take our seats and I note the pained, worried pucker of my brother’s forehead.

From Literature

She stares at me, her lips puckered and her nose crinkled like she’s thinking hard about something.

From Literature

Related Words

• crinkle